,,,,,«/%§@ @§%/«,,,,,
,,,,«/%§@# #@§%/«,,,,
,,,«/%§@## ##@§%/«,,,
,,«/%§@### ###@§%/«,,
,,,«/%§@## ##@§%/«,,,
,,,,«/%§@# WINDS ESKER #@§%/«,,,,
,,,,,«/%§@ «««««««««««««««««««««««««««««««««««««««« @§%/«,,,,,
,,,,,,«/%§ §%/«,,,,,,
,,,,,,,«/% THERE WAS THIS PLACE THAT FOR TWO YEARS %/«,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,,«/ I COULDN'T GO TO. REGARDLESS HOW MUCH /«,,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,,,« DISCUSSED WITH OTHERS, OR POINTED OUT «,,,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,,«/ ON MAPS, I COULD NOT THINK OF IT WHEN /«,,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,«/% ALONE. I WOULD OFTEN TRAVEL PAST THE %/«,,,,,,,
,,,,,,«/%§ FORK, WHERE A RIGHT TURN WOULD SURELY §%/«,,,,,,
,,,,,«/%§@ TAKE ME THERE, BUT EVEN THEN, SOMETHING @§%/«,,,,,
,,,,«/%§@# KEPT ME AWAY. #@§%/«,,,,
,,,«/%§@## ##@§%/«,,,
,,«/%§@### WHEN I FINALLY GOT THERE, AFTER SOME ###@§%/«,,
,,,«/%§@## HEAVY SUBCONSCIOUS BATTLE I MUST ##@§%/«,,,
,,,,«/%§@# ASSUME, THE PLACE WAS SURREAL. AN #@§%/«,,,,
,,,,,«/%§@ ESKER, LIKE A NEEDLE-THIN RIFT OUT IN @§%/«,,,,,
,,,,,,«/%§ THE LAKE, BUT TEN METERS HIGH AND §%/«,,,,,,
,,,,,,,«/% ADORNED IN BIRCH, WILLOW, BRACKEN, AND %/«,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,,«/ BLUEBERRIES. /«,,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,,,« «,,,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,,«/ WALKING ATOP THAT SPINE, I CAME TO /«,,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,«/% NOTICE THE VIEW TO EITHER SIDE. THERE %/«,,,,,,,
,,,,,,«/%§ SHOULD BE SHORES, OF COURSE, BUT I §%/«,,,,,,
,,,,,«/%§@ DIDN'T RECOGNIZE THEM. FIRST OFF, THEY @§%/«,,,,,
,,,,«/%§@# WERE MUCH TOO CLOSE, AS THE LAKE SHOULD #@§%/«,,,,
,,,«/%§@## STRETCH FOR A HUNDRED METERS MORE ON ##@§%/«,,,
,,«/%§@### BOTH SIDES. BUT NOW I FELT I COULD ###@§%/«,,
,,,«/%§@## ALMOST REACH OUT AND TOUCH THEM. AND ##@§%/«,,,
,,,,«/%§@# THEN, WHEN I REALIZED WHICH SHORES THEY #@§%/«,,,,
,,,,,«/%§@ WERE, I HAD TO STOP. @§%/«,,,,,
,,,,,,«/%§ §%/«,,,,,,
,,,,,,,«/% THEY WERE OF THE RIGHT LAKE. BUT THIS %/«,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,,«/ LAKE IS LARGE, FRACTURED, AND /«,,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,,,« BIPARTITE. LIKE A PAIR OF LUNGS CARVED «,,,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,,«/ INTO THE GRANITE, AND WITH NO LESS THAN /«,,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,«/% FIVE COMMUNITIES ANCHORED AT VARIOUS %/«,,,,,,,
,,,,,,«/%§ POINTS. AND SO, STUDYING THESE §%/«,,,,,,
,,,,,«/%§@ IMPOSSIBLY CLOSE SHORES, I SLOWLY @§%/«,,,,,
,,,,«/%§@# UNDERSTOOD THEM AS BELONGING MANY MILES #@§%/«,,,,
,,,«/%§@## AWAY. ##@§%/«,,,
,,«/%§@### ###@§%/«,,
,,,«/%§@## I EXAMINED THE RIDGE, THE TREELINE ##@§%/«,,,
,,,,«/%§@# ABOVE. WAS THIS WHAT YOU SAW OPPOSITE, #@§%/«,,,,
,,,,,«/%§@ FROM THOSE OTHER SHORES? I COULDN'T @§%/«,,,,,
,,,,,,«/%§ REMEMBER. §%/«,,,,,,
,,,,,,,«/% %/«,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,,«/ CARRYING FORWARD, ON THE VERY TIP OF /«,,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,,,« THE ESKER, I FOUND THE RUINS OF SOME «,,,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,,«/ OLD BUILDING. THERE WERE OVERGROWN /«,,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,«/% MARBLE STAIRCASES, STONE FLOORS BENEATH %/«,,,,,,,
,,,,,,«/%§ THE MOSS, AND STRANGE SLABS INSERTED §%/«,,,,,,
,,,,,«/%§@ INTO THE SLOPE LIKE DAMS AGAINST THE @§%/«,,,,,
,,,,«/%§@# GROUND ITSELF. #@§%/«,,,,
,,,«/%§@## ##@§%/«,,,
,,«/%§@### SITTING THERE, I COULD SEE ACROSS THE ###@§%/«,,
,,,«/%§@## NARROWED LAKE MY ENTIRE PATH TO WHERE I ##@§%/«,,,
,,,,«/%§@# SAT: FROM THE STAIRWELL OF MY HOUSE, #@§%/«,,,,
,,,,,«/%§@ THROUGH THE OLD WOODS BEHIND THE TILE @§%/«,,,,,
,,,,,,«/%§ FACTORY, THE BRIDGE OVER ROUTE §%/«,,,,,,
,,,,,,,«/% TWENTY THREE AND THEN BACK UNDER IT, %/«,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,,«/ THROUGH THE FANCY VILLAS, OVER THE /«,,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,,,« FIELDS, AND THEN THAT RIGHT TURN AT THE «,,,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,,«/ FORK. /«,,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,«/% %/«,,,,,,,
,,,,,,«/%§ AND THEN THE STAIRS UP ON THE RIDGE. §%/«,,,,,,
,,,,,«/%§@ THINKING BACK, THIS WAS PROBABLY IT. @§%/«,,,,,
,,,,«/%§@# HIDDEN IN A GROVE, THERE WERE STAIRS #@§%/«,,,,
,,,«/%§@## MUCH LIKE THE ONES I CURRENTLY SAT ON, ##@§%/«,,,
,,«/%§@### OLD AND WORN DOWN, THAT LEAD YOU UP ###@§%/«,,
,,,«/%§@## ONTO THE ESKER. THE POINT OF ENTRY. HAD ##@§%/«,,,
,,,,«/%§@# I INSTED OPTED TO WALK THE PATH AT ITS #@§%/«,,,,
,,,,,«/%§@ FOOT, I'M SURE MY EXPERIENCE WOULD'VE @§%/«,,,,,
,,,,,,«/%§ BEEN DIFFERENT INDEED. §%/«,,,,,,
,,,,,,,«/% %/«,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,,«/ «««««««««««««««««««««««««««««««««««««««« /«,,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,,,« «,,,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,,«/ ON THE LAKE, THERE WERE PEOPLE IN /«,,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,«/% BOATS. I WONDERED, COULD THEY EVEN SEE %/«,,,,,,,
,,,,,,«/%§ ME? IF I SHOUTED, WOULD THEY TURN TO §%/«,,,,,,
,,,,,«/%§@ STARE RIGHT THROUGH ME? @§%/«,,,,,
,,,,«/%§@# #@§%/«,,,,
,,,«/%§@## ##@§%/«,,,
,,«/%§@### ###@§%/«,,
,,,«/%§@## ##@§%/«,,,
,,,,«/%§@# #@§%/«,,,,